Updated

A large health-record analysis found that use of glucosamine, a widely taken joint supplement, was associated with a 25% higher likelihood of mild cognitive impairment progressing to dementia. Laboratory experiments suggested the supplement may intensify an abnormal sugar-tagging process implicated in Alzheimer's disease. Researchers cautioned that the findings are associative rather than causal, and that clinical trials are needed to confirm whether glucosamine actually worsens cognitive decline, but the results raise concern given the supplement's popularity among older adults.